“We’ll be right in,” Gavin called, and then gazed down at her. Gently he smoothed her hair away from her face, and when he spoke, his voice was tender. “Look, I know you’re afraid. But I will never hurt you.”
She wasn’t scared: she was terrified. But she took a deep breath and finally spilled the truth. “Gavin, you can’t promise that. Six months from now, when you’ve recovered and the offers start pouring in, you will realize this was a mistake. You could easily decide you want Kristin back, or someone just like her. I see it all the time.” Her eyes lifted to his and to her mortification, they were wet with tears. “And I couldn’t take that again.”
“You think this is a rebound?” His hand tightened around her waist and he held her impossibly closer, his brow thunderous. “I admit, in the beginning coming here was hard for me. I felt like I had traded down because of an injury. But I never felt that way about you. I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll prove it to you.”
She exhaled slowly, her brain spinning. “I need some time to think.”
“Right. And come up with a hundred reasons why we aren’t a good idea? No way. I understand I’m going to have to work for this, to convince you I’m not Zach. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance. Fair enough?”
When he put it so reasonably, there was nothing negative she could say. He seemed to take her silence as agreement, for he dropped his hand from her shoulder and gestured toward the door.
“Now can we go in and eat? I’m starved.”
She laughed in spite of herself. While she still needed to process all the emotions flooding through her, Gavin’s manner made it all much easier. Some of the tension was gone, and she was actually able to grin back at him.
“Sure. The natives will be upon us any second anyway.” But then she hesitated a moment, picturing her nosy brothers and sure-to-be-inquisitive mother. “Listen, in front of my family—”
“Don’t worry, I know. Your brothers seem like great guys, but they are still your brothers. Do you think I want them busting my stones? What goes on between us is our business. Promise.”
He crossed his heart.
—
He didn’t have to worry about family secrets. As soon as they entered the back porch, Colin began a teasing chant from the lawn.
“Gavin and Jessica sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S…”
“Shut up.” Surprisingly, Rory came to his sister’s defense, shooting his younger brother a look. “Are you guys ready to eat? We were about to send out the National Guard.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jessica took a seat at the picnic table across from Liam and helped herself to the food.
Gavin knew better than to sit beside her. Even now, he felt curious eyes on him as he took the seat next to Rory and passed the steaks.
Rory appeared content that whatever had been eating at his sister was gone now. Jessica was her usual self, laughing and joking, shoving her brother when he said something rude. Liam gave it right back to her, and there was something in the warm camaraderie that Gavin envied being an only child.
Her parents joined them, her father jumping right into the conversation about the baseball season. They then went on to talk about soccer, hockey, and the NFL. There didn’t seem to be a sport that the Harts weren’t totally invested in, and as he devoured the meal, he thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the company.
To his relief, something about Rory’s presence seemed to keep the personal questions at bay. While the twins, Colin and Coulter, were obviously dying to grill him, Rory and Jessica’s father kept the conversation friendly and casual.
After dinner, Gavin insisted on helping clean up the paper plates, earning an adoring look from Jessica’s mother. Diana, he noticed, couldn’t have been more different from her tomboy daughter, yet it was evident that they enjoyed a close relationship. He could see, however, how Jessica’s uncertainty about her femininity had developed, since she was surrounded by boys who definitely encouraged her more masculine side. Even now she was engaged with the twins in a game of horseshoes, hooting when she ringed the stake and won the game.
“She’s quite a girl. Woman, I mean.” Her father turned to Gavin thoughtfully, his expression sincere. “She went through a rough period last year.”
“I know.” Gavin nodded and drew in a deep breath. “I told Rory I have no intention of hurting her. I mean that.”
“Thank you.” He shook Gavin’s hand, and then reached furtively inside his sweater for a tobacco pouch. “Do you mind?”
Gavin shook his head. Jessica’s father lit his pipe and stared out to the lawn. “She was always a little tomboy. But I remember one time she found a robin that had fallen out of its nest. She tried to take care of it, put it in a box with cotton, some worms, and water. The poor thing died by the next morning, and she was devastated. He’s buried out there, by the big oak tree.” He gestured with his pipe.
Gavin got the message. For all that Jessica acted the tough guy, underneath she was a softy.
It was something he would definitely keep in mind.
—
After dinner when everything had been cleared away, Rory gestured for Gavin to follow him into the backyard. He opened a shed and retrieved a baseball bat, a ball, and a glove.
“Want to play catch?” He grinned.
“Absolutely,” Gavin returned, taking the bat into his hands and testing the weight of it. He could feel curious eyes on him as he assumed batting position and Rory prepared to throw the ball.
“He’s not ready for that—” Jessica started for the field, but before she could reach them Rory threw a nasty slider. To her astonishment, Gavin nailed it, sending it high over the neighbor’s fence and into the pool.
“Holy crap,” Colin said with unfettered enthusiasm, while Coulter applauded.
Jessica’s mouth fell open for the second time that day. When she reached Gavin, her eyes narrowed.
“You’ve been practicing.” Her tone was neutral, as if unsure yet whether or not to approve of what he’d been doing behind her back.
“Yep. You might want to step away. Your brother throws a mean fastball, and I’d hate to miss at your expense.”
She did as he suggested, but she watched him carefully as he once more assumed a batting stance. Gavin took care to shift his weight onto his good leg, and utilizing the compact swing he’d been perfecting, sent the ball into the swimming pool.
This time they all applauded, Jessica included. When they finished fooling around, Gavin strode back to the house with the bat perched on his shoulder as if nothing had ever changed.
“How long has this been going on?” Jessica asked, her eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and chagrin.
“For a little while. I’ve been careful, and have been focusing on keeping my upper body still as opposed to a full swing. The funny thing is, I’m actually hitting better than I was before. I don’t know if it’s mechanics or what, but I’m not complaining.”
“You looked really good. The way you were so balanced, and how you hit that pitch…I think we may have to speed up your PT schedule. You’re progressing much faster than anyone would have hoped.”
She was proud of him, proud of his effort and achievements. And as he watched her walk over to Rory to tease him about throwing a girl ball, he was even more determined than ever to get this woman in his life.
—
After Gavin left, followed by her brothers, Jessica went up to bed. Initially she was going to head home, but she had an hour drive ahead of her and heard on the traffic report that there had been an accident on Route 295. Coupled with the fact that she’d had a few beers, she didn’t argue when her mother suggested that she leave in the morning.
She still had a few things in her own room, including some tee shirts and fresh undies. After taking a quick shower, she climbed into bed under the covers, her thoughts racing.